which Tranny fluid for a 97 4L60
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Use a generic Dex III/Mercon, although Dex VI has been approved for older GM applications. Some people are big fans of MaxLife ATF as well. I personally use AAP Dex/Merc in my older Dex II/IIE applications (like the GMC 4L80E in my sig).
Dexron VI will work fine in a '97 4L60E.....They are not far removed from '05 & up 4L60E's that had Dex VI as factory fill.
A TES-295 ATF is a synthetic Dexron III & works very well in these units......Summit Racing has Mobil Delvac 1 TES-295 ATF for $30.99 a gallon which is a really good price.
Use a factory GM# 08654799 gasket unless you like leaks! Torque to 120 inch pounds
A TES-295 ATF is a synthetic Dexron III & works very well in these units......Summit Racing has Mobil Delvac 1 TES-295 ATF for $30.99 a gallon which is a really good price.
Use a factory GM# 08654799 gasket unless you like leaks! Torque to 120 inch pounds
Maxlife is the Official ATF of BITOG, and it will work great in your 4L60
You may also want to get an aftermarket transmission pan with a drain plug, so you won't have to drop the pan ever again
You may also want to get an aftermarket transmission pan with a drain plug, so you won't have to drop the pan ever again
I use Amsoil Signature Series Multi-Vehicle Synthetic Automatic Transmission Fluid on all my older transmissions that spec Dex III. Got it my 98 Avalon. Improved shift quality significantly. It's pricey, but with nearly 30,000 since my last service it still looks new.
Originally Posted by clinebarger
Dexron VI will work fine in a '97 4L60E.....They are not far removed from '05 & up 4L60E's that had Dex VI as factory fill.
A TES-295 ATF is a synthetic Dexron III & works very well in these units......Summit Racing has Mobil Delvac 1 TES-295 ATF for $30.99 a gallon which is a really good price.
Use a factory GM# 08654799 gasket unless you like leaks! Torque to 120 inch pounds
I think I remember you bringing this up before so I apoligize if I asked before, but how do we know Delvac 1 is similar to DexIII? The PDS shows it being a tad thicker than Maxlife and other LV ATF's too which is nice. $30 a gallon though. Ouch.
I am not a fan of the multi vehicle generic ATF's either though. Something sketchy about the Supertech version of that compared to say ST DexVI IMO. At least Maxlife is a name brand with many manufacturer specs on the bottle.
Dexron VI will work fine in a '97 4L60E.....They are not far removed from '05 & up 4L60E's that had Dex VI as factory fill.
A TES-295 ATF is a synthetic Dexron III & works very well in these units......Summit Racing has Mobil Delvac 1 TES-295 ATF for $30.99 a gallon which is a really good price.
Use a factory GM# 08654799 gasket unless you like leaks! Torque to 120 inch pounds
I think I remember you bringing this up before so I apoligize if I asked before, but how do we know Delvac 1 is similar to DexIII? The PDS shows it being a tad thicker than Maxlife and other LV ATF's too which is nice. $30 a gallon though. Ouch.
I am not a fan of the multi vehicle generic ATF's either though. Something sketchy about the Supertech version of that compared to say ST DexVI IMO. At least Maxlife is a name brand with many manufacturer specs on the bottle.
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I used dexron 6 when it first came out in my 86 Caprice with the 700R4 (4L60 predecessor). It didn't help the crappy shift quality that car had always had but it lasted until I fell asleep and wrote the car off one night and I literally drove that car like it had 2 throttle positions (on and off). I always thought the transmission would fail one day but only the rear end did (years of burnouts). I bought it from my friend when we were 19 or 20. He had it since he was 16.
Maxlife ATF. Enough said.
Originally Posted by dlundblad
Originally Posted by clinebarger
Dexron VI will work fine in a '97 4L60E.....They are not far removed from '05 & up 4L60E's that had Dex VI as factory fill.
A TES-295 ATF is a synthetic Dexron III & works very well in these units......Summit Racing has Mobil Delvac 1 TES-295 ATF for $30.99 a gallon which is a really good price.
Use a factory GM# 08654799 gasket unless you like leaks! Torque to 120 inch pounds
I think I remember you bringing this up before so I apoligize if I asked before, but how do we know Delvac 1 is similar to DexIII? The PDS shows it being a tad thicker than Maxlife and other LV ATF's too which is nice. $30 a gallon though. Ouch.
I am not a fan of the multi vehicle generic ATF's either though. Something sketchy about the Supertech version of that compared to say ST DexVI IMO. At least Maxlife is a name brand with many manufacturer specs on the bottle.
The original TES-295 fluid "Castrol Transynd" had a Dexron IIIG licence/approval at one time. TES-295 being a Group IV (PAO) base ATF.....I think the price is very reasonable!
I got turned-on to this fluid before I ever owed a Allison transmission......I had(Still have actually) an account with a firm that operated a huge fleet of Street Sweepers ranging from 1500 pick-ups all the way up to Class 6 Tractors.
The 1500/2500/3500 trucks were killing transmissions in short order, The 1500 GMC trucks equipped with 4L60E's would average about 500-700 hours before an overhaul. The hack rebuilds they bought would last 1/4 of that if they were lucky. We are now getting to EOL with one blueprinted overhaul along with added cooling capacity using TES-295 fluid.
Gear-set/Planetary failure was quite common as they run in reduction 90% percent of the time in this application (Sweeping streets in 1st & 2nd gear), Coupled that with the converter being unlocked, No air flow, & the immense weight of the Vacuum/Sweeper/Debris collector & the hydraulic system to run it proved to much for conventional Dexron IIIG & IIIH as it would shear down very quickly!
I HAVE to give Dexron VI some credit.....It may start out thinner than Dexron III, But it SURE holds it's viscosity A LOT longer!!! HOWEVER.......TES-295 is the Cadillac of shear stable ATF's in vocational applications per UOA's performed & Planetary Gear-set longevity.
I don't have the formal education like the Tribologist's on this site, Just a ton of practical experience with certain automatic transmissions subjected to duty cycles way outside their intended usage/designed parameters.
Originally Posted by clinebarger
Dexron VI will work fine in a '97 4L60E.....They are not far removed from '05 & up 4L60E's that had Dex VI as factory fill.
A TES-295 ATF is a synthetic Dexron III & works very well in these units......Summit Racing has Mobil Delvac 1 TES-295 ATF for $30.99 a gallon which is a really good price.
Use a factory GM# 08654799 gasket unless you like leaks! Torque to 120 inch pounds
I think I remember you bringing this up before so I apoligize if I asked before, but how do we know Delvac 1 is similar to DexIII? The PDS shows it being a tad thicker than Maxlife and other LV ATF's too which is nice. $30 a gallon though. Ouch.
I am not a fan of the multi vehicle generic ATF's either though. Something sketchy about the Supertech version of that compared to say ST DexVI IMO. At least Maxlife is a name brand with many manufacturer specs on the bottle.
The original TES-295 fluid "Castrol Transynd" had a Dexron IIIG licence/approval at one time. TES-295 being a Group IV (PAO) base ATF.....I think the price is very reasonable!
I got turned-on to this fluid before I ever owed a Allison transmission......I had(Still have actually) an account with a firm that operated a huge fleet of Street Sweepers ranging from 1500 pick-ups all the way up to Class 6 Tractors.
The 1500/2500/3500 trucks were killing transmissions in short order, The 1500 GMC trucks equipped with 4L60E's would average about 500-700 hours before an overhaul. The hack rebuilds they bought would last 1/4 of that if they were lucky. We are now getting to EOL with one blueprinted overhaul along with added cooling capacity using TES-295 fluid.
Gear-set/Planetary failure was quite common as they run in reduction 90% percent of the time in this application (Sweeping streets in 1st & 2nd gear), Coupled that with the converter being unlocked, No air flow, & the immense weight of the Vacuum/Sweeper/Debris collector & the hydraulic system to run it proved to much for conventional Dexron IIIG & IIIH as it would shear down very quickly!
I HAVE to give Dexron VI some credit.....It may start out thinner than Dexron III, But it SURE holds it's viscosity A LOT longer!!! HOWEVER.......TES-295 is the Cadillac of shear stable ATF's in vocational applications per UOA's performed & Planetary Gear-set longevity.
I don't have the formal education like the Tribologist's on this site, Just a ton of practical experience with certain automatic transmissions subjected to duty cycles way outside their intended usage/designed parameters.
Originally Posted by clinebarger
Originally Posted by dlundblad
Originally Posted by clinebarger
Dexron VI will work fine in a '97 4L60E.....They are not far removed from '05 & up 4L60E's that had Dex VI as factory fill.
A TES-295 ATF is a synthetic Dexron III & works very well in these units......Summit Racing has Mobil Delvac 1 TES-295 ATF for $30.99 a gallon which is a really good price.
Use a factory GM# 08654799 gasket unless you like leaks! Torque to 120 inch pounds
I think I remember you bringing this up before so I apoligize if I asked before, but how do we know Delvac 1 is similar to DexIII? The PDS shows it being a tad thicker than Maxlife and other LV ATF's too which is nice. $30 a gallon though. Ouch.
I am not a fan of the multi vehicle generic ATF's either though. Something sketchy about the Supertech version of that compared to say ST DexVI IMO. At least Maxlife is a name brand with many manufacturer specs on the bottle.
The original TES-295 fluid "Castrol Transynd" had a Dexron IIIG licence/approval at one time. TES-295 being a Group IV (PAO) base ATF.....I think the price is very reasonable!
I got turned-on to this fluid before I ever owed a Allison transmission......I had(Still have actually) an account with a firm that operated a huge fleet of Street Sweepers ranging from 1500 pick-ups all the way up to Class 6 Tractors.
The 1500/2500/3500 trucks were killing transmissions in short order, The 1500 GMC trucks equipped with 4L60E's would average about 500-700 hours before an overhaul. The hack rebuilds they bought would last 1/4 of that if they were lucky. We are now getting to EOL with one blueprinted overhaul along with added cooling capacity using TES-295 fluid.
Gear-set/Planetary failure was quite common as they run in reduction 90% percent of the time in this application (Sweeping streets in 1st & 2nd gear), Coupled that with the converter being unlocked, No air flow, & the immense weight of the Vacuum/Sweeper/Debris collector & the hydraulic system to run it proved to much for conventional Dexron IIIG & IIIH as it would shear down very quickly!
I HAVE to give Dexron VI some credit.....It may start out thinner than Dexron III, But it SURE holds it's viscosity A LOT longer!!! HOWEVER.......TES-295 is the Cadillac of shear stable ATF's in vocational applications per UOA's performed & Planetary Gear-set longevity.
I don't have the formal education like the Tribologist's on this site, Just a ton of practical experience with certain automatic transmissions subjected to duty cycles way outside their intended usage/designed parameters.
Very interesting info, thank you. Is all TES-295 created equally? I see Royal Purple Max ATF meets that requirement.
Originally Posted by dlundblad
Originally Posted by clinebarger
Dexron VI will work fine in a '97 4L60E.....They are not far removed from '05 & up 4L60E's that had Dex VI as factory fill.
A TES-295 ATF is a synthetic Dexron III & works very well in these units......Summit Racing has Mobil Delvac 1 TES-295 ATF for $30.99 a gallon which is a really good price.
Use a factory GM# 08654799 gasket unless you like leaks! Torque to 120 inch pounds
I think I remember you bringing this up before so I apoligize if I asked before, but how do we know Delvac 1 is similar to DexIII? The PDS shows it being a tad thicker than Maxlife and other LV ATF's too which is nice. $30 a gallon though. Ouch.
I am not a fan of the multi vehicle generic ATF's either though. Something sketchy about the Supertech version of that compared to say ST DexVI IMO. At least Maxlife is a name brand with many manufacturer specs on the bottle.
The original TES-295 fluid "Castrol Transynd" had a Dexron IIIG licence/approval at one time. TES-295 being a Group IV (PAO) base ATF.....I think the price is very reasonable!
I got turned-on to this fluid before I ever owed a Allison transmission......I had(Still have actually) an account with a firm that operated a huge fleet of Street Sweepers ranging from 1500 pick-ups all the way up to Class 6 Tractors.
The 1500/2500/3500 trucks were killing transmissions in short order, The 1500 GMC trucks equipped with 4L60E's would average about 500-700 hours before an overhaul. The hack rebuilds they bought would last 1/4 of that if they were lucky. We are now getting to EOL with one blueprinted overhaul along with added cooling capacity using TES-295 fluid.
Gear-set/Planetary failure was quite common as they run in reduction 90% percent of the time in this application (Sweeping streets in 1st & 2nd gear), Coupled that with the converter being unlocked, No air flow, & the immense weight of the Vacuum/Sweeper/Debris collector & the hydraulic system to run it proved to much for conventional Dexron IIIG & IIIH as it would shear down very quickly!
I HAVE to give Dexron VI some credit.....It may start out thinner than Dexron III, But it SURE holds it's viscosity A LOT longer!!! HOWEVER.......TES-295 is the Cadillac of shear stable ATF's in vocational applications per UOA's performed & Planetary Gear-set longevity.
I don't have the formal education like the Tribologist's on this site, Just a ton of practical experience with certain automatic transmissions subjected to duty cycles way outside their intended usage/designed parameters.
Very interesting info, thank you. Is all TES-295 created equally? I see Royal Purple Max ATF meets that requirement.
Originally Posted by dogememe
Very interesting info, thank you. Is all TES-295 created equally? I see Royal Purple Max ATF meets that requirement.
IF it has a Allison TES-295 builder approval number....It's the same!
Though I doubt RP has any builder approvals......I didn't check myself.
How much is a gallon of Royal Purple Max ATF?
Very interesting info, thank you. Is all TES-295 created equally? I see Royal Purple Max ATF meets that requirement.
IF it has a Allison TES-295 builder approval number....It's the same!
Though I doubt RP has any builder approvals......I didn't check myself.
How much is a gallon of Royal Purple Max ATF?
Originally Posted by clinebarger
I don't have the formal education like the Tribologist's on this site, Just a ton of practical experience with certain automatic transmissions subjected to duty cycles way outside their intended usage/designed parameters.
Just a note...I read all of your posts, multiple times over on the good tech stuff.
I don't have the formal education like the Tribologist's on this site, Just a ton of practical experience with certain automatic transmissions subjected to duty cycles way outside their intended usage/designed parameters.
Just a note...I read all of your posts, multiple times over on the good tech stuff.
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Originally Posted by Shannow
Originally Posted by clinebarger
I don't have the formal education like the Tribologist's on this site, Just a ton of practical experience with certain automatic transmissions subjected to duty cycles way outside their intended usage/designed parameters.
Just a note...I read all of your posts, multiple times over on the good tech stuff.
+1 ... Clinebarger is certainly the sites GM transmission guru !
Originally Posted by clinebarger
I don't have the formal education like the Tribologist's on this site, Just a ton of practical experience with certain automatic transmissions subjected to duty cycles way outside their intended usage/designed parameters.
Just a note...I read all of your posts, multiple times over on the good tech stuff.
+1 ... Clinebarger is certainly the sites GM transmission guru !
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I know a guy that used to cook his 2500 Suburban transmission fluid around that vintage pulling a huge boat - he switched to Mobil 1 ATF and it took the heat - slightly thicker yet looking at the VI - higher than most ...
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